Combination self-cleaning constant and intermittent flow valve



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 3, 1958 J. H. HOWARD COMBINATION SELF-CLEANINGCONSTANT AND INTERMITTENT FLOW VALVE Filed Feb. 2, 1953 James H. H0W-G/O/ INVENTOR.

BY M. 5 502% ATTORNEY United States Patent COMBINATION SELF-CLEANINGCONSTANT AND INTERMITI'ENT FLOW VALVE James H. Howard, Houston, Tex.,assignor to Cameo, Incorporated, Houston, Tex., a corporation of TexasApplication February 2, 1953, Serial No. 334,561

7 Claims. (Cl. 137-155) This invention relates to a flow valve of thetype generally disclosed in Well Flowing Patent No. 2,465,060 to W. C.Carlisle, et al., and of the type disclosed in copending Flow Valveapplication Serial No. 50,038, now Patent No. 2,668,553, February 9,1954, by James H. Howard et al., particularly shown in Figs. 1 and 4thereof, but varies from these disclosures in providing an annular flowpassage around the valve tip of uniform cross-sectional area through anormally operating length of travel after the valve is opened.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a pressurizedbellows type flow valve having an annular flow passage around the valvetip of uniform cross-sectional area through a normally operating lengthof travel after the valve is opened.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a flow valve of thistype having a tip constructed to abruptly increase the flowpassagecross-sectional area through the valve seat when the valve stem islifted above a normally operating length of travel.

It is another object of this invention to provide a flow valve of thistype having removable and interchangeable tips.

, It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a flow valveof this type having large port openings in the housing wall, and a valvetip constructed to abruptly increase the flow passage cross-sectionalarea through the valve seat when the valve is lifted above a normallyoperating length of travel, whereby, as the valve is lowered into a welland subjected to the high well fluid pressures encountered therein, itwill open, and its tip will travel above its normally operating lengthof travel, thereby insuring a large cross-sectional area path of flowthrough the valve so that fluids laden with large sized particle maypass freely and quickly through the valve.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a flow valve of thistype in which the free flow passage area through the uniformcross-sectional area portion of the valve tip may be designed to besized in equivalents of various diameter circles, .as 4", etc.

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assembled with threadable valve stems, as of stainless It is yet anotherobject of this invention to provide a flow valve of this type in whichthe valve is maintained seated when the force exerted by a pressurizedbellows and a spring exceeds the fluid pressure in the casing annuluswhich acts within the valve body plus the fluid pressure in the tubing,which. acts against the valve seat.

It is also a further object of this invention to providea flow valve ofthis type in which the fluid passing fromv casing to, tubing when thevalve is unseated is metered through a flow passage of reducedcross-sectional-area so that the fluid pressure on the tubing side ofthe valve seat is substantially at a pressure of the fluid .in thetubing,

of Fig. 7.

As shown in Fig. l, a well bore tubing string 1 hasused as anintermittent flow valve by the provision of an intermitter at the top ofthe well.

It is another object of this invention to provide a constant flow valveof this type providing a free flow passage area of uniformcross-sectional area surrounding ,a valve tip portion of uniformcross-sectional area extending thereinto, wherein such free flow passagecross-sectional area may be lesser than the cross-sectional area'of theopening into the housing on the opposite side of the valve seat from theextending tip portion.

It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a flow valve ofthis type having in one form a tip requiring no seal therearound, whileinsuring uniform fluid flow therearound during its normally operatinglength of travel.

It is also a further object of this invention to provide a flow valve ofthis type having in another form a tip and a seal therearound to insureuniform fluid flow therethrough during its normally operating length oftravel while the seal also stabilizes the tip against vibration.

' It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a flow valveof this type having in one form a tip insuring a streamlined fluid flowthrough a length of uniform cross-sectional area therearound while alsoproviding such a tip which is stabilized against vibration.

It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a flow valve ofthis type which will easily close under force of a constant gas pressurein the casing annulus upon a reduction of pressure in the tubing, andwhich will easily and automatically open upon a subsequent increase oftubing pressure.

Other and further objects will be apparent when the specification isconsidered in connection with the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows a sectional elevation showing a flow valve, as included inthis invention, installed on a tubing mandrel to be installed in thetubing string of a well.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, sectional elevation of a flow valve, showingone modification of valve stem tip.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view taken along line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, sectional elevation of a flow valve, showinganother modification of valve stem tip.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional elevation of the form ofinvention shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view, taken along line 66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, sectional elevation of a flow valve, showingstill another modification of valve stem tip.

Fig. 8 is a sectional plan view taken along line 88 installed thereinatubing mandrel 2 which has a boss 3 thereon into which a flow valve 5 isthreaded at 4. This flow valve 5 may be of a large variety ofconstructions, and in the form shown such valve has a body 6 comprisinga bellows chamber 7 consisting of an upper section 8 and a lower section6. A pressurized bellows 9 is connected at 10 to the upper section 8,and at its lower end the bellows is connected at 11 to'the top of avalve stem 12 The bellows chamber 7 has a valve chamber 14 connectedthereto, which chamber comprises 'an upper section-IS and a valve seatsection 16. A partition 17 separates thebellows chamber 7 fromthe valvechamber 14, and a spring 18 extends around the stem 12 and bears 3upwardly on the partition 17 and downwardly on a nut 19,.whichisthreaded onto the valve stem at 2.0. The valve stem 12 has a stopshoulder 21 thereon to serve a purpose to be hereinbelow described.

A valve tip 22, to, be hereinafter de scribed,, seats at,

23, which is a seating surface provided by the valve seat section 16.v

The bellows 9 has a pressurized fluid injectedinto its interior 24through the valve cap 25. Thus the force of this pressurized fluidwithin the bellows and additionally the force of the spring 18 bothcombine in urging the valve tip 22 into seated position, and resist theunseating thereof due to the force of the fluid pressure entering thevalve body through the ports 34, and due to the; tubing fluid pressureacting upwardly against the valve tip to unseat the valve.

A check valve chamber 26 is connected to the valve chamber 14 by meansof the adapter 27, to whichthe check valve body 28 is connected. Thischeck valve section 218 has a reduced-diameter threaded portion 29 forthreaded engagement into the threaded section 4 of the boss 3. The checkvalve 30 normally floats in the check valve chamber 26 between its seat27' in the adapter 27 and the shoulder 28, such floating beingresponsive to fluid pressure from the interior 31 of the mandrel 2,which communicates with such chamber by way of the passageway 32 throughthe boss 3. An increased velocity in the tubing fluid will cause thecheck valve 30 to seat on the check valve seat 27 to close off tubingfluid communication with the valve thereabove.

A protective lug 33 is installed on the mandrel 2 to over-extend theflow valve 5.

In well flowing practice, the flow valve is set to open at somepredetermined pressure exerted by a gas injected into the well bore andinto the annulus surrounding the tubing string 1 and entering the valvechamber 14 by way of the ports 34. When the valve tip 22 lifts from theseat 23, such gas may pass downwardly through the flow passage 35 in thevalve seat section 16 and through the check valve chamber 26 land thecheck valve 30 will be forced downwardly to rest upon the shoulder 28'while the casing annulus fluid passes through the openings 30' in thecheck valve and through the passage way 32 into the interior 31 of themandrel 2. This condition is set to occur preferably when there is ahead of fluid, as oil, standing in the mandrel 2 and tubing string 1above the passageway 32.

It is again stated herein that the flow valve 5, shown in Fig. l, isonly one modification of a vast number of flow valves of variousconstructions which have been employed in practice for the purpose offlowing wells, as hereinabove described. Also, various types of tips orsealing elements have been provided for employment on the stems of flowvalves with the areas of the ports 34, the areas of the flow passages35, and the annular space 36 surrounding the valve tips, all bearingvarious ratios to each other, with the valve tips, valve seats, andports, having various constructions and configurations.

As set forth hereinabove in the statement of objects of this invention,such invention relates to valves of the type generally described whichhave valve tips of uniform cross-sectional area through a normallyoperating length of travel when the valve is open; and in this inventionsuch flow passage cross-sectional area is of a lower area than thecross-sectional area of the port space of the ports 34 through which thegas may enter the flow valve chamber 14 to act to lift the valve stem12.

As shown in Fig. 2, one form of valve tip comprises the tip 22, as shownin Fig. 1, which has a threaded shank 37 which is threadable axiallyinto a valve stem 12. In detail, this tip 22 has a flange 38 to whichthe shank 37 is connected, and a tapered or frusto-conical section 39extending from the flange 38 to provide the seating surface which seatson the hardened metal seating surface 23 of the valve seat section 16.

A cylindrical portion 40 extends from the section 39 and is of. auniform diameter, and of a smaller diameter than the flow passage bore41through the seating element 23. As a terminal section, the valve tip hasa cone 42 with base connected to the cylinder 40.

It can thus be seen that when the valve stem is lifted for a length oftravel, the injected gas from the annulus surrounding the tubing 1 willflow through a flow passage annulus 44, of uniform diameter, and therebya constant flow of gas is injected into the mandrel interior 31.

As the gas pressure increases, the valve stem 12 is lifted higher andhigher until the cone base is at a level above the upper surface of thevalve seat 23. Then, as

the valve stem continues to rise higher under increased pressure, thearea through which the gas flows abruptly increases until, with thepoint 45 of the cone 42 above the upper surface of the seat 23, thewhole cross-sectional area of the bore 41 through the seat 23 is openedto the How of gas. Thus, if any solid or particle-laden matter iscarried by the gas, such may pass through the large port openings 34 andthrough the bore 41 with-minirnized danger of any stoppage or blockingof such gas flow being risked.

By this same procedure the valve may intermittently be opened wide toperiodically allow large volumes of gas to pass into the tubing toprovide intermittent lifting of the fluid in the tubing. The variationof the fluid pressure in the casing to intermittently operate the valveis controlled by an intermitter valve at the surface of the conventionaltype.

After the valve stem is lifted to the point immediately desecribedhereinabove, any continued lifting of the valve stem might subject thebellows 9 to pressure beyond its characteristic limits; and to avoidthis, the distance between the shoulder 21 on the valve stem 12 and thepartition 17, with the valve seated, is just slightly greater than thedistance from the cone tip 45 to the topsurface of the seating element23 when the valve is seated. Thus any tendency to lift the valve higherthan the maximum desired opening of the seat bore 41 is avoided by thecontact of the stop shoulder 21 with the partition 17.

A modification of valve tip is shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, whichconsists of a tip havingv a threaded shank 47 for connection to thevalve stem 12, such shank being connected downwardly to a flange 48which, in turn, is connected to a tapered or frusto-conical member 49adapted to seat at 51 on the seating element 16'. Below the section 49there is provided a cylindrical portion 52 of lesser diameter than thebore 53 of the flow passage 35. Then the tip terminates in a cylindricalportion 54, whichis of a diameter to have sliding engagement with thebore 53.

In order to avoid leakage around the portion 54, a flexible seal 56 isprovided in the groove 57. The tip has the axial bore 58 therein, andextending radially therefrom to the periphery of the section 52 thereare provided the ports 59.

With this type of tip, upon the lifting of the valve stem '12, a uniformflow of gas during a length of upward travel'is provided, the .bore 58being the factor which insures this uniform flow. In this type of tipthe seal 56 insures the accuracy of uniform flow, whereas the portion 54stabilizes the valve stem against vibration, since it has slidingengagement with the bore 53.

A third modification of tip is shown in Figs. 7 and 8, in which a tip6t] comprises a frusto-conical section 61 to seat at 62 on a seatingelement 16'. Such tip has a reduced-diameter, cylindrical section 63connected to the section 61, and therebelow it has a section 64 of adiarneter to fit in sliding contact with the bore 65 'of a flow passage35. To insure uniform flow, a plurality of is in sliding engagement withthe bore 65. Also, because of this sliding engagement, the valve stem 12is stabilized against excessive vibration.

Although not shown, the tip 60 may be adapted for threaded engagementwith the valve stem 12 rather than formed integrally therewith.Obviously, such may be accomplished simply by providing a threaded shankon the tip above the frusto-conical section 61.

As shown in Fig. 5, the tip 50, in detail, may include a polygonaladapter 67 into which the flange 48 of the tip may be pressed andwelded.

In both the modification of Figs. 4-6, and in the modification of Figs.7-8, it is noticeable that the terminal portion .70 of these tips istapered to a reduced diameter.

. Thus when an excess of gas pressure in the casing or well bore annulusmay lift the stem 12 or valves on which these tips are installed, to aposition above the top surface of the seating element thereof, there isan abrupt increase of the cross-sectional area through which fluid mayflow to an area equal to the cross-sectional area of the bore 53 'or 65.

It can be seen that this invention is adapted to maintain a constantflow after the valve is lifted and then to abruptly increase thecross-sectional area of flow when the valve stem is further lifted underexcessive pressure.

It is also pointed out that the constant flow'takes place through across-sectional area of the flow passage 35, which is always of a lowercross-sectional area than the area of the opening space, as the ports34, through which gas may flow into the housing and valve chamber of aflow valve 5.

Insomuch as it is necessary to have some measure of the freecross-sectional area through the flow passage in which the uniformcross-sectional area portion of the valve tip extends, it has been foundpractical to design such free area in the equivalents of variousdiameter circles, as ,4 etc.

As regards the design of the tips, where excessive velocities andpressures may occur, a construction as shown in Fig. 5 may be preferred,in which a valve tip, as of tungsten steel, is pressed and then Weldedinto an adapter portion which can be of a threadable metal, as stainlesssteel, through the threads of which the tip may be connected to thevalve stem.

The ports 34, shown and described throughout this invention, have beenstated to amount to a greater crosssectional area than the area of thefree flow passage in which the uniform cross-sectional area portion ofthe valve tip extends, but it is not necessary to have ports 34 of suchlarge area, and in excess of such free flow passage area, and theprinciple of this type of valve may operate where such area of the ports34 may be lesser than such free flow passage area while stillmaintaining the inherent benefits of a free flow passage area of uniformcross-section in which a valve tip portion of uniform cross-sectionalarea extends.

Broadly this invention considers a constant flow valve having a stem tipwith a portion extending into the flow passage on the opposite side ofthe valve seat from the resilient means urging said valve closed, withthe crosssectional area of said portion, over a length thereof, bearinga constant ratio to the free flow passage area through which said tipportion extends, and with said housing.

having port means therein on the resilient means side of said valveseat, such port means being of a greater crosssectional area than saidfree area. This invention also broadly considers such a constructionwherein such port means area may be of lesser cross-sectional area thansaid free area.

What is claimed is:

l. A flow valve comprising, a housing, a valve seat adjacent one end ofsaid housing, a flow'passage in said housing extending through saidvalve seat, a valve stem in said housing having a valve tip on one endthereof to seat upon said valve seat in a downstream flow direcin apredetermined range of fluid pressure for a given extent of tip travelslightly less than the maximum range of tip travel under fluid pressurein excess of said predetermined range, said tip having a flow meteringportion extending in. said flow passage for a length corresponding tothe aforesaid given extent of tip travel for obstructing free flowthrough the passage, the cross-sectional area of said portion over saidlength bearing a constant ratio to the free flow passage area throughwhich said portion extends for a uniform obstruction and said crosssectional area abruptly decreasing beyond said length, saidmetering'portion being fixed with the tip for movement outside thepassage in response to fluid pressure increase above said predeterminedrange for the abrupt removal of restriction to free passage flow, saidhousing having inlet port means therein on the resilient means side ofsaid valve seat of a greater cross-sectional area than said free area.

2. A flow valve comprising, a housing, a valve seat adjacent one end ofsaid housing, a flow passage in said housing extending through saidvalve seat, a valve stem in said housinghaving a valve to seat upon saidvalve seat, resilient means in said housing to urge said valve to closedposition, said valve having a flow restricting cylindrical portionextending into said flow passage and of a cross-sectional area over alength thereof of a constant ratioto the free flow passage area throughwhich said portion extends for a uniform metered flow at a ratesubstantially less than the unrestricted flow rate of the passage, saidlength corresponding to the travel range of the valve in its normal flowcontrol operation, said resilient means including a pressure responsivebellows connected at one end to said stem and at the other end to saidhousing and responsive to normal operating pressures to unseat the valvewithout removing said cylindrical portion from the passage andresponsive to abnormally high pressure to remove said cylindricalportion from the passage for unrestricted flow therethrough.

3. A gas lift Well flow control assembly for the flow of pressure gasthrough a connecting passage between a pressure gas conduit and a liquidproduction well conduit, including a conduit connecting passage whoseflow area exceeds that required for normal operation of elevating anaccumulated head of liquid Within the production conduit, an annularvalve seat in the passage, a valve therefor, yieldable valve seatingmeans exerting valve closing force in the downstream direction ofpressure gas flow through said passage, a gas presstue responsive deviceexposed to upstream lift gas pressure above the valve and operablyconnected with the valve to unseat the same in opposition to downstreamforce exerted by said yieldable means, said valve and its seat being ofsuch size as not to offer appreciable flow resistance within apredetermined operating range of valve movement in response to gaspressure below a given value on said pressure responsive means, a flowmetering shank projecting from said valve and Within said passage as achoke thereof, said shank being so constructed and arranged in relationto the passage as to choke the passage to a substantially constant flowmetering area suflicient for elevating liquid in the production conduitabove the valve so long as the valve is unseated within saidpredetermined operatingrange of movement and being of a length to remainwithin said passage during said operating range of the valve toward andaway from its seat and to clear the passage as the valve moves beyondsaid operating range on an abnormal gas pressure rise for an abrupttransition of passage area to substantially unrestricted gas flowbetween said conduits.

4. A flow valve as in claim 1, said housing having an annular groovetherein spaced from said valve. seat on the opposite side thereof fromsaid resilient means, and a flexible seal ring in said groove ofslightly lesser inner diameter than the diameter of said flow passage,said valve tip comprising means to connect said tip to the. adjacent endof said valve stem and a section inwardly tapered from said connectionmeans toseat upon said valve seat, said flow metering portion includinga first cylindricalsection connected to said tapered section and of alesser diameter than the diameter of said flow passage therearound, asecond cylindrical section connected to said first cylindrical sectionand of a larger diameter than said first cylindrical section and saidseal ring inner diameter to sealably slide against said seal ring, saidflow metering portionhaving an internal passage means from the end ofsaid tip opposite said connection means and communicating with said flowpassage surrounding said first cylindrical section as a flow meteringorifice around said seal ring.

5. A flow valve as in claim 1, said valve tip comprising means toconnect said tip to the adjacent end of said valve stem and a sectioninwardly tapered from said connection means to seat upon said valveseat, saidflow metering portion including a firs-t cylindrical sectionconnected to said tapered section and of a lesser diameter than thediameter of said flow passage therearound, a second cylindrical sectionconnected to said first cylindrical section and of a diameter to slidewithin the bore of said flow passage, said second cylindrical sectionhaving axially extending groove means therein to comprise a flowmetering area.

6. A gas lift Well flow control assembly as set forth in claim 3, and aflow metering passage extending axially through said shank from a pointimmediately adjacent said valve and controlling gas flow through thepassage when the valve is unseated within. said predetermined operatingrange of movement but which pressure control metering passage becomesinefiective Whenever said shank moves out of the passage.

7. A gas lift Well flow control assembly as in claim 3, said flowmetering shank having an external groove ex.- tending axially to the endthereof and defining said constant flow metering area so long as valvemovement is within said predetermined operating range, said yieldablemeans being yieldable to abnormal flow pressures in permitting valvemovement beyond said predetermined operating range and the withdrawal ofsaid shank from the passage to remove passage choke action and effectfully open valve position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,328,653 Ferris Jan. 20, 1920 1,344,854 Berg June 29, 1920 1,743,350Hopkins Jan, 14, 1930 1,882,060 Boynton Oct. 11, 1932 2,144,144 CrickmerIan. 17, 1939 2,203,957 Glitsch et al. June 11, 1940 2,339,487 King Jan.18, 1944 2,465,060 Carlisle et al. Mar. 22, 1949 2,519,242 Garrett etal. Aug. 15, 1950 2,573,110 Robison Oct. 30, 1951 2,646,062 Nixon July21, 1953 2,668,554 Seyfiert Feb. 9, 1954 2,685,294 Gold et al. Aug. 3,1954

